1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed a connector for backlight (hereinafter referred to as a “backlight connector”) which comprises a main body and a slider (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2006-244749 (Paragraphs 0014 to 0017, and FIGS. 2 and 3)).
The main body includes a pair of contacts, a plate portion, a pair of guide portions and a pair of side plates. Each contact has elasticity. Each contact is substantially U-shaped in plan view, and has an outer wall portion and an inner wall portion. The outer wall portion has an outer surface thereof formed with a protuberance which protuberates outward. The plate portion receives a fluorescent tube. The guide portions rise from opposite side edges of the plate portion, respectively. Each side plate is formed with a long narrow slot. The slot extends in a direction of the height of the main body. The outer wall portion of each contact extends from one end of the associated guide portion.
The slider is substantially U-shaped in plan view, and includes a pair of side wall portions. The pair of side wall portions are connected by a connection plate portion. Each side wall portion includes a rising piece which protrudes inward of the slider. The rising piece is vertically movably inserted through the slot of the guide portion. This mounts the slider to the main body in a vertically movable manner. Each side wall portion includes a pressing plate portion. The pressing plate portion extends from an upper end of the side wall portion.
The connection plate portion connecting the pair of side wall portions is substantially U-shaped as viewed from the front. An upper end portion of the connection plate portion is formed with a pair of flanges which protrudes inward toward each other. When the slider mounted on the main body is at a high position, the pair of flanges do not press the respective protuberances of the pair of contacts. When the slider mounted on the main body is at a low position, the pair of flanges press the protuberances of the pair of contacts such that the pair of contacts are made closer toward each other.
Backlight connectors thus configured are mounted on a connector mounting board.
To connect fluorescent tubes to backlight connectors, first, a plurality of fluorescent tubes are held by a holder having protruding pieces.
Next, the slider mounted on the main body of each backlight connector is moved upward to the high position. Once the slider is moved to the high position, even though the slider moves downward, the flanges of the connection plate portion of the slider are brought into abutment with the protuberances of the contacts, which prevents the slider from moving further downward.
Thereafter, the holder holding the plurality of fluorescent tubes is disposed above the backlight connectors, and is then moved down from the position. At this time, one end of each fluorescent tube is placed on the plate portion associated therewith, and the associated one of the protruding pieces of the holder presses the pressing plate portions of the slider downward, so that the slider is pushed down. As the slider is pushed down, the pair of flanges of the slider press the protuberances of the pair of contacts, whereby the space between the pair of contacts is made narrower. As a result, a conductor of each fluorescent tube is sandwiched by the pair of contacts, whereby each fluorescent tube is electrically connected to the connector mounting board via the backlight connector.
In the above-described backlight connector, the pair of flanges of the slider pushed down press the pair of contacts, whereby continuity between the contacts and the conductor of each fluorescent tube is maintained. However, since the connection plate portion is substantially U-shaped as viewed from the front, the connection plate portion can be deformed by reaction force when the pair of flanges of the slider press the pair of contacts, which sometimes increase the space between the pair of flanges.
Therefore, there is a fear that the contact stability between the contacts of the above-described backlight connector and the conductor of each fluorescent tube is lowered.